Documents and other information stored on intranets can be indexed and made searchable in a manner similar to information contained on the Internet. With the help of a search appliance, users can perform queries on information made available on intranets and gain access to relevant documents or other information. In addition to publicly accessible documents, intranets can also contain information to which an administrator may wish to limit access to specific users or groups of users. To protect the secrecy of such information, there is a need to prevent unauthorized users from gaining information about and access to search results that contain information that unauthorized users should not access.